BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. –Â Isaiah 50:7
Daily Bible Verse of the Day 3 January 2023 – MESSAGE
Growing up in my dysfunctional home, I remember being shamed. And when you’re a child, you tend to absorb and internalize that shame. Instead of being able to process your emotions, you start seeing yourself as less than because of how you feel.
When I became a Christ Follower, I began to unlearn that shame. I learned God not only took away my sins on the cross, but God began a work in me which he will continue (Philippians 1:6). God isn’t finished with me yet.
One Christmas my Bible teacher, Lois Peterson, chose a Bible verse she picked especially for us. Mine was Isaiah 50:7, which talks about setting my face like a flint. It says I will not be disgraced because the Lord helps me. Setting my face like a flint means to follow in Christ’s footsteps, separate from worldly influences. It also means to be disciplined, being loyal to God and His truth above all else. We’re not oblivious to all that is going on around us, but we make a choice.
This is not possible without God’s strength and the power of the Holy Spirit. God empowers us for the things he wants us to do. To be a responsible person means I will respond to God’s ability.
Jesus faced the ultimate test when he went to the cross. When Jesus went to the Garden to pray, he took a few of his disciples with him. And then he went on further so he could be alone with God.
When Isaiah prophesied about Jesus on the cross, Isaiah said the Lord had opened his ears, Jesus had not been rebellious. Isaiah said Jesus did not turn away from what was coming. God’s plan was the reason that Jesus bore the shame. They beat Jesus, pulled out his beard, mocked him and spat on him. But God is the one who helped Jesus so that he was not disgraced. And Jesus set his face like a flint.
There have been times in my life when I set my face like a flint. In those moments, the only thing I knew for sure was that I had to follow God’s leading. I knew God would be there for me, just like he was all the other difficult times.
READ: Our Daily Bread 3 January 2023 Devotional – Rescue Mission
Satan is the only one who wants us to be shamed. He wants us to be disgraced, which means to fall from favor. When you think about it, Satan was the one who fell from God’s favor and he wants to pull us down with him. But those of us who know God personally can be assured we will never fall from his favor.
If Jesus is your Savior, no matter what you are facing in your life, you can set your face like a flint, being confident that God will help you and you will not be disgraced. And with God to help you, you don’t need anything else.
Thank you for reading Daily Bible Verse of the Day 3 January 2023 devotion written by Anne Peterson